854 niSTORY OF cauforkia. 



bave been reached bj man ; and thej are marked by 

 the swiftness of their flight, and the height to which 

 they soar : 



** Vainly the fowler s eye, \ 



Might mark thy distant flight, to do thee wrong; 



As darkly painted on the crimson sky, \ 



Thy figure floats along. 



" Seek'st thou the plashy brink, 

 Of weedy lake, or n>erge of river wide ; 

 Or where the rocking billows rise and sink 

 On the chaffed ocean side ; 



" There is a Power, whose care 

 Teaches thy way along the pathless coast, 

 The desert and illimitable air, 



Lone wandering, but not lost. 



" Thou'rt gone ! thy abyss of heaven 

 Hath swallowed up thy form!" 



If few, they fly in one line, but if numerous, in 

 two, converging to a point like the letter A turned 

 upside down, and they are always led by an old ex- 

 perienced gander. They make their appearance in 

 Hudson Bay in spring, going north, where great 

 quantities are taken, and salted for a winter's store ; 

 and on their return in w^inter, they are killed and 

 frozen up for fresh provisions. They are easily 

 domesticated, and readily pair with the common gray 

 goose ; but their wings must be cut to prevent their 

 absconding, for on the approach of spring they are 

 always observed to become restless and uneasy, fre- 

 quently looking up into the air, making attempts to 

 fly away, and hailing every flock of their wild 

 brethren that passes over their heads, who always ac- 

 knowledge and return the salute. 



The Barnacle Goose, or Brant Goose, is common 

 to the northern regions of both continents, emigrat- 

 ing to more temperate climates in autumn and winter. 



